Vehicle navigation systems, including global positioning systems (GPS), are commonly used by drivers to obtain current location information, map data, and detailed, turn-by-turn directions to get from a current location to a destination location. However, a typical navigation system only maintains accuracy of up to 2-3 meters (approximately 6.6-9.8 feet). The actual accuracy users attain depends on multiple factors, including, but not limited to, atmospheric effects, sky blockage, and receiver quality. Real-world data from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) show that their high-quality GPS SPS receivers provide better than 3.5 meter horizontal accuracy.
Specific applications, such as autonomous vehicle operation, may require increased accuracy for a navigation system, rendering an error of 2 meters (or more) impractical. Further, dependence upon a potentially flawed navigation system (by an autonomous driving application or an in-person driver) may present unforeseen consequences (e.g., a user following flawed directions presented by the navigation system).
Accordingly, it is desirable to use a mechanism for determining whether a navigation system is providing accurate output. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the foregoing technical field and background.